Martin Braithwaite, the 26-year-old Toulouse striker has been the source of much transfer speculation in the north of the English Channel. Bournemouth have reportedly joined Brighton & Hove Albion in expressing interest in the Danish striker.
The striker, known for his preference to cut inside in the final third, has returned impressive figures of 11 goals and 3 assists in 34 Ligue 1 games with Les Pitchouns Le Téfécé. Born in 1991, the striker joined Toulouse FC in the summer of 2013 and has gone on to captain the Ligue 1 side.
Bournemouth, having already secured the signature of Jermain Defoe, is looking to further strengthen their attacking options in a long upcoming league and cup season. The Eddie Howe managed side have already invested in quality players of the likes of Asmir Begovic and Nathan Ake from Chelsea and Connor Mahoney from Blackburn.
Having finished 9th last season, they would be looking to improve their standing in the Premier League and fare better in the domestic cup tourneys.
Newly promoted Brighton are not likely to go down without a fight in their pursuit of the 26-year-old, not having signed a striker as yet. The striker who is known to operate anywhere in a front three will add a lot of versatility in any team that he is a part of. West Ham and Southampton are also reportedly interested in securing the services of the player.
Although the French club would like to hold on to the player, a fee around £8m rising to £12m, with a lot of clubs interested in the Dane, could be too good to resist for the Stadium Municipal outfit.
Bolstered by the TV deals, the Premier League clubs won’t be baulking at the price quoted and there’s a high possibility of the player crossing the Channel to display his craft in the new season.
After joining from Esbjerg, the 26-year-old has netted 35 times in 136 appearances for Toulouse. The player has an affinity towards playing short crisp passes in the final third and doesn’t shy away from taking on his opponent. He is said to be good on the ball and can dribble his way out of trouble in tight situations.
Standing at 180 cm, the player is not the tallest around but can hold his ground when the need arises. With all these qualities the player can prove to be a valuable addition in the Premier League. With almost four clubs interested in securing the services of the player at last count, Toulouse would be hoping for a bidding war to ensue to drive up the player’s value.
